Following the example of Governor Romney, we’ve made allowances for Perry here at MRC the last couple of weeks. Today, my Perry measuring cup reached ‘full’ so let’s be clear, this is a Jayde Wyatt article.

I’m responding to a conversation the Texas Governor had yesterday with Laura Ingraham on her radio program about Mitt Romney and the private-market health insurance program in Massachusetts:

Perry told Ingraham the law was a “total debacle” and would be a “huge problem” for Romney.

“I think Mitt is finally recognizing that the Massachusetts healthcare plan he passed is a huge problem for him,” Perry said. “It was not almost perfect.”

Perry then went on to offer a curious statement:

“[T]he answer to our healthcare problems can be found in our states.”

Really?

I know Governor Romney will address Rick Perry’s criticisms on the debate stage; I look forward to it. Extensive articles on the private-market health care insurance program in Massachusetts have been posted here at MRC, so I won’t rehash the details today. Although there is MUCH to be discussed about Rick Perry’s background and record, let’s learn a little about one glaring, alarming stain on the Texas Governor’s record – his very own health care “debacle”:

[…]Why in early 2007 did he [Governor Rick Perry] sign an executive order mandating that 11- and 12-year-old girls in Texas be given the vaccine Gardasil?

Gardasil was developed to prevent the human papillomavirus (HPV), the most commonly transmitted sexual disease in the United States. In June 2006, the Food and Drug Administration approved the drug, which is made by the pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co. The treatment was initially hailed as a breakthrough in protecting against four strains of HPV that are responsible for 70 percent of cervical cancer cases and 90 percent of genital warts.

In January 2007, Gardasil was put on the “recommended” immunization schedule issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Centers for Disease Control. Merck immediately mounted a massive lobbying effort of state legislatures around the country to get Gardasil added to their respective lists of state-mandated vaccines.

But in Texas, Gov. Perry chose to

bypass the legislature

and on Feb. 2, 2007, he issued an

executive order

making Texas the first state in the country requiring all sixth-grade girls to receive the three-shot vaccination series (which cost about $120 per shot)

. The move generated a fierce public debate. Conservatives slammed Perry for promoting what they saw as an intrusion by the state into private health decisions of parents and their children. Some also complained that the mandate would encourage promiscuity among teenagers.

Many doctors, including Bill Hinchey, the president of the Texas Medical Association at the time, questioned the wisdom of rushing to mandate a drug that had been on the market for less than a year.

“We support physicians being able to provide the vaccine, but we don’t support a state mandate at this time,” Hinchey told the Houston Chronicle. “There are issues, such as liability and cost that need to be vetted first.”

The controversy over Perry’s decision deepened as it came to light that his former chief of staff was a lobbyist for Merck and that his chief of staff’s mother-in-law, Rep. Dianne White Delisi, was the state director of an advocacy group bankrolled by Merck to push legislatures across the country to put forward bills mandating the Gardasil vaccine for preteen girls.

Surprise! Perry received a $6,000 donation from Merck lobbyists just days before the executive order was issued.

When the New York Times praised Perry’s actions, he figured he needed to do some fancy PR work. He quickly penned an op-ed to paint his actions as being ‘pro-life’. USA Today published it.

Perry’s attempt to frame his action as both an urgent public health necessity and the work of a “pro-life” politician failed to dissuade those who felt he had shoved this vaccine down the throats of the public without a full airing of the potential benefits, costs and long-term health implications of the drug.

Roughly 60 state lawmakers called on Perry to rescind the order. He refused. Just six weeks after Perry put pen to paper, the Texas House rebuked him on March 14, 2007, passing HB 1098, overturning his executive order by a vote of 119-21. The Senate followed suit the following month by a vote of 30-1.

PRLog (Press Release) – Aug 22, 2011 – According to VAERS analyst and SANE Vax team member Janny Stokvis, Governor Rick Perry should have been aware and taken action on the mounting injuries from Gardasil in Texas before an attempt to mandate the vaccine. VAERS reports one girl died post-Gardasil vaccination, there were 14 life-threatening situations and 31 girls became disabled after Perry’s attempt to issue an executive order. The effort to introduce the drug into Texas schools turned into one of Perry’s greatest defeats. His admission of a ‘mistake’ five years later is reprehensible.

Perry’s order would have become effective in 2008 and girls would be involuntarily immunized unless they ‘opted out’ upon entry to the 6th grade. Texas was the first state to require that schoolgirls get vaccinated against a multi-strain virus to prevent ‘cervical cancer.’ Unfortunately, the National Cancer Institute has not directly linked the virus to cervical cancer.1

Is this poor judgment from a man running for president?

During a 16 month investigation of Gardasil, side effects were documented in a disturbing number of cases to VAERS including 3,589 during a 16 month period.2 Even though thousands of girls reported adverse reactions to the vaccine, Perry found no reason to modify or withdraw his executive order. Those numbers have now risen to over 22,000 and yet, it took political posturing for Perry to admit his ‘mistake.’
[…]According to VAERS, Texas has had its fair share of reports of adverse reactions:
As of July 12, 2011 the total number HPV vaccine adverse events reported to VAERS is 22,619 – with an estimated 1 to 10% of the HPV vaccine injured population reporting.4

19,170 reports are from the U.S. – 3,127 of those events are from unknown locations.
914 reports out of the 19,170 reports are from Texas. But considering the fact that 3,127 reports have an unknown location, this number could be higher.5

Gardasil Adverse Events in Texas:

• One death report of a 26 year old woman who died Nov 20076
• 67 reports are listed as serious7
• 14 reports of Life threatening situations8
• 433 reports of emergency room visits9
• 45 reports of hospitalization10
• 10 reports extended hospital stay11
• 174 reports where the girls did not recover from their injuries12
• 31 reports of girls now disabled13